The government said the exercise, which
used to hold for three hours on the last Saturday of every month with
restriction on movement, needed to go to pave the way for a much-needed
reform.
The Commissioner for Information and
Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, in a statement on Wednesday, said the
decision to cancel the monthly exercise followed a resolution adopted at
the State Executive Council meeting.
He said the members of the executive
agreed that it was no longer appropriate to restrict movement of people
for three hours in a megacity like Lagos at a time they should be
pursuing commercial activities.
He said, “Lagos has grown exponentially
with the attendant environmental problems associated with managing 20
million people. The environmental laws and procedures being practised in
the state have not been able to match the growth and the dream of a
24-hour economy.”
Ayorinde said the state government was
also aware of a recent Court of Appeal judgment, which made restriction
on movement during the monthly sanitation illegal.
He said, “After a careful consideration,
the State Executive Council has therefore resolved that the present
economic climate can no longer support the continued lock down of a
megacity like Lagos, hence the need for the reform
“Furthermore, Government will also
accelerate the introduction of fresh reforms through the passage of new
harmonised environmental laws that will drive meaningful changes in
areas of harmonised billing, waste management, modern landfill sites,
noise pollution, introduction of an environmental trust fund and an
environmental advisory council.”
Ayorinde said the government was
committed to a clean and secure environment for the benefit of Lagos
residents and would continue to provide the necessary leadership to meet
the environmental challenges of the state.
“Lagosians and visitors alike are
therefore urged to embrace these changes and imbibe a culture of
voluntarily maintaining and preserving their environment to create a
beautiful and healthy city that we all can be proud of,” Ayorinde added.
He said the government would thenceforth
be tougher in ensuring enforcement against contraventions of its
policies and regulations.
The commissioner urged the residents to
voluntarily comply with the necessary laws and support government in its
bid to have a clean and healthy environmen
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